Wainfleet council has approved the 2019 budget with an average increase of 6%.
Mayor Kevin Gibson says the increase is needed to address aging infrastructure, support the volunteer fire department, and maintain service levels.
"Since the 1990s, many municipal councils have been responsive to public pressure to keep taxes low. The unfortunate result is that often taxes were kept artificially low, even below the level of inflation. This was often accomplished by deferring infrastructure costs and using reserves to offset those costs.”
In all, the average resident can expect to pay $65 more per $100,000 worth of property assessment.
The rate includes the taxes for the Niagara Region and School Board.